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Fiat 131 Abarth Rally
The Fiat 131 Abarth Rally is a special edition of the Abarth sedan Fiat 131, built between 1976 and 1978 in 400 copies. The Abarth Rally was born from the need to replace the long-lived 124 Abarth Rally, which at the beginning of the seventies had reached the end of his career. In his long militancy in the World Rally Championship, the 131 Abarth has managed to win three world manufacturers, an FIA Cup for Drivers and a world championship, all between '76 and 1982. In '82 the 131 Abarth Supermirafiori 2000 Volumetric replace the 131 Abarth with regard to series production, but not in the racing world. Before you decide to proceed with the development of a racing car on a 131, the Abarth had already developed a prototype coupe from the X1 / 9. When the order came to stop the project, Bertone was ready for the production of the 500 needed for approval in Group 4. Featuring an eye-catching snorkel on the hood, the X1 / 9 prototype took part in the Tour of Italy Automotive of 1974 under the leadership of Clay Regazzoni. The prototype 031 The prototype "031" victorious in the Tour of Italy Automotive of 1975 Then abandoned the idea of a car on the basis X1 / 9, and with the need to find an heir to the 124 Abarth Rally, the FIAT assigned the task of developing its new weapon for road races of the engineers' Abarth, and is that in 1975 there appeared the first report on the basis of the Fiat 131 two-door. This is the prototype Fiat Abarth 031 that, apart from the lines of the body, has little to do with the 131 series: the engine is the 3.2 V6 130 with cubic increased to 3,481 cm ³ and powered by three carburetors Weber ; the power reaches 270 hp at 6,800 rev / min, which allows the 031 to touch 260 km / h, and the change is a ZF five-speed transaxle. The design was taken care of by the Centro Stile Bertone of Caprie. In the hands of Giorgio Pianta, this prototype won the Tour of Italy in 1975, and the experience gained with it will be crucial for the development of future Abarth 131 Rally. The 131 Abarth Rally With a wealth of experience fed in previous years, the engineers dell'Abarth then began to work on the 131 2-door sedan. First you decide to lighten the body that was definitely heavier than its competitors in synthetic resin material that is chosen to replace doors, hoods and fenders; then are added to the wheel arches to accommodate the tires Pirelli P7 195/40 VR15, and big spoilers to ensure the necessary downforce; the large air intakes on the hood and on the sides instead ensure the needs of cooling of the mechanical parts. Amended the Abarth Rally retains only the pace of the car as standard with respect to which is shorter, lower and wider. The engine is a brand new inline four-cylinder that has some point of contact with that of the Fiat 132 and Lancia Beta and exploits only part of the previous experience with the 124 Abarth Rally. Also unusual is the architecture of light alloy head which, together with the classical distribution with two shafts in the head, presents, for the first time on a series of Fiat, the four valves per cylinder. Power is supplied to a double-choke Weber carburetor. The transmission is a five-speed speed gearbox, allowing quicker, more precise, so there are three gear ratios and eight-axle ratios. Particular also the front suspension layout which are similar to those of the standard 131 and back are more similar to those of the X1 / 9. From the beginning, the project of Abarth Rally was to serve as a basis for processing intended for use competitive road and 400 specimens were required for homologation in Group 4 race version. The changes to which she was subjected the street version were quite substantial and transformed it into a car very different from that on sale in dealerships. To debut in the race, just eight months after the start of the design, is an experimental car with the 1.8-liter 16V 124 Spider with a capacity of just over 200hp and a number of changes in the frame. However, the final version of the Abarth Rally Race, relying on the basis of the road version now completed, adopt the two-liter Abarth 131 road but with a system of indirect injection Kugelfischer in place of the Weber carburetor. Other changes affected the adoption of a limited slip differential and a number of changes to the suspension package as well as several other details that allowed her to dominate the international scene until 1980. The end result is a car that can deliver power over 215 hp in the first version of 1975, but that will come to exceed 230 hp in subsequent years. The Abarth 131 Rally Race in the typical colors of the Fiat biancoblù (1980-1982) The first appearance of the 131 Abarth Rally Race took place in 1975 in two rounds of the Italian Rally Championship: Rally and the Rally of 100,000 Trabucchi Valli Piacentine where he won after dominating the race. The next year is to onset in the international scene and the 131 does not fail his debut in the Rally of Elba Island (valid for the European Championship) where he won twice with the crews Alen and Kivimaki-Bacchelli-Rossetti. Alen and Kivimaki grant an encore at the Rally of the 1000 Lakes valid for the world. 1977 is the year of the consecration, the 131 dominates in World Cup: memorable Rally of Corsica where five 131 include the first eight places in the final standings and the constructors' championship is practically in your pocket thanks to five wins this season. Notable also the statements in the Italian and European circuits where the 131 wins countless placings and victories. The 131 will be repeated also in the world in 1978 by staging a fight to the death with the Ford Escort RS but will have to yield to the supremacy of the Fiat wins 5 victories over the FIA Cup for Drivers of the duo Alen-Kivimaki end of the season; 1978 was also the year of the title won by Italian Vudafieri and Mannini. 1979 is a year of transition: the Fiat, after having reduced the budget to the racing team which does not have the hoped-for return promotion, you want the official participation of only three events of the world as one of the 131 will still come out victorious with the usual Alen -Kivimaki. 1980 is the year instead of Walter Rohrl, these give the 131 its first and only victory in Monte Carlo, where the crew will be on the podium Swedish Waldegaard-Thorzolelius, and at the end of the season will have won another four wins and two second places that will enable him to win the Drivers Championship, set for the first time in 1979, and that will give Fiat its third manufacturers' title. The 1981-1982 seasons are the seasons of decline. Satisfied by the triumphs of previous years and due to the age of 131, Fiat has decided to retire from racing and rally to consecrate only the Lancia brand, which is preparing with the Abarth car that will replace the 131 in the international circuits. The 131, thanks to private stables, yet still managed to win a victory in the Rally of Portugal and several placings in 1981, and a seventh place at the Acropolis Rally in 1982. Video Gaming The 131 Abarth Rally first appeared in racing video game Forza Motorsport 4, in which it was mislabeled "Abarth 131 Abarth". This was corrected to "Abarth Fiat 131" for Forza 5.Category:Fiat